We will return just before 19:00 BST for the concluding session of the 2025 World Snooker Championship.

There are possibly 10 frames to play - but Zhao Xintong needs to win just one of them to create snooker history.

The 28-year-old is set to become the third qualifier to win the title since the World Championship moved to Sheffield, and also the first Crucible champion from China.

Join us again later for the finale.

Mark Williams has posted on social media after the afternoon session left him 17-8 down and one frame away from a world final defeat by Zhao Xintong (I'm sure Mark won't mind us tweaking some of the typos):

"Oh well, that was tough, I've not got enough cue power to combat tough conditions like Zhao. His cue power is superb. Probably the best potter I have ever seen.

"Last session in a few hours. Support I have had this last two weeks has been amazing from the crowd and everyone."

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

There will be an explosion of interest again in China. When Ding Junhui came on the scene, it did marvellous things for snooker in that part of the world. This would do even greater things.

There are reportedly 300,000 snooker halls in China. Good luck booking one on Tuesday.

These are the most recent Crucible champions - Zhao Xintong will surely add his name to the top of this list in a few hours' time.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Zhao Xintong is one frame away from being the winner today and will collect the a top prize of £500,000 if he lifts the trophy, while the runner-up will earn £200,000.

However, when I saw Jackson Page - who is a regular practice partner of Mark Williams - last night, it reminded me that he will earn £147,000 from the World Championship without even reaching the televised stages.

That is more than the £100,000 the semi-finalists are set to receive.

That's because Page compiled two maximum 147 breaks in one match during qualifying to secure a £147,000 Triple Crown bonus.

Image source, Getty Images

You can watch the Shot of the Championship by scrolling along to 18 seconds into the video below.

John Parrott said: "It was a lot thinner than it looks on the TV, it's 12-12 in a classic match and he's got the middle pocket in play. You could not put the cue ball better with your hand.

"There are other shots [in the shortlist] that show better technical ability, but to be able to play that when it's 12-12 all..."

Fellow BBC pundit Ken Doherty added: "That's the important thing - you take the context of the match as well. That requires not only skill, but temperament as well."

Mark Williams looks unlikely to win a fourth world title tonight, but his pot of the blue against John Higgins in the deciding frame of his classic quarter-final has been voted as the Shot of the Championship by BBC pundit and former world champion John Parrott...

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It's taken too much out of Mark Williams for him to get to the final, you can see it's a match too far.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Mark wasn't missing like that against Judd Trump or John Higgins. When you've been bruised and battered like he has been in the final, those shots become a lot harder.

Mark Williams misses the penultimate red to the corner and every chance now that Zhao Xintong will be 17-8 in front at the end of this session.

Just the baulk colours needed to leave Williams needing a snooker - and he gets them.

Zhao has won that session 6-2 and we will surely crown Asia's first world snooker champion when the two finalists return at 19:00 BST.

Shaun Murphy
2005 world champion on BBC Two

An incredible pot from an incredible player, he just won't lie down.

Mark Williams pots a great red to the middle from an acute angle and, with the black now free, will hope to seal the frame at this visit.

Six reds left on the table, Zhao has a lead of 21.

And Zhao Xintong will get the first chance to work things out.

A wonderful long, straight red, screwing back towards the baulk end - brilliant.

Image source, Getty Images

Zhao Xintong edges into a 22-point lead with a modest break and a couple of Mark Williams fouls.

But the colours have all gone awkward so this one will take a bit of working out.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

It's a complete hybrid of break-building and calmness. He's been totally cool out there, he's been sauntering around the table like he's in the practice area, and he's playing one of the grand masters of the game. It's an unbelievable performance.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It definitely was a massive advantage for Zhao to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the way he did for this final, because Mark Williams had the opposite way to get there.

But he did himself - he beat Ronnie with a session to spare.

A composed break of 67, superbly taken with very few alarms, means Zhao Xintong needs two more frames to become world champion.

There's one more frame in this session, so he'll have to come back in a few hours to do it, but in terms of the actual snooker left in this world final, you'd think there's not too much.

A nice split on the bunch of four reds around the pink spot and Zhao Xintong has a chance to win the frame now - although pink and black are out of commission for the moment, so it will be reds and blues for the time being.

And Mark Williams gets in during frame 24, after Zhao Xintong pushes the boat out a little bit early in the frame.

But there's a big shake of the head from the 50-year-old as he misses a routine red when on 26.

That miss gifts Zhao an easy starter.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

There will be a lot of relieved people who had tickets for this evening.

Pride comes into it, Mark would have been deflated over his performance [in the final] and hasn't peaked like he did against Judd Trump. That may gave taken a lot of energy out of him.

He's a great champion and great champions have big hearts. Even when the chips are down, a pride of performance kicks in.